The Atlantic

Why Countries Aren’t Sanctioning the Saudi Government Over Khashoggi

Targeted sanctions against individuals allow governments to balance their geopolitical interests with their human-rights concerns.
Source: Leah Millis / Reuters

First the sanctions came from the United States. Then Germany. France soon followed. And now, Canada. Last week, the Canadian government announced it too would impose targeted sanctions against 17 Saudi nationals over the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

This is the latest international reprisal aimed at ensuring that those believed to be responsible for the death of Khashoggi are “.” And in an age where diplomatic considerations often supersede the desire of governments to go after human-rights offenders—especially when it concerns an ally—it offers a look at how some countries are balancing their geopolitical interests with their concern for human

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